Are trekking poles worth it?

June 3, 2009 6:30 AM

Hikers... do you like and regularly use trekking poles?

I'm considering purchasing a pair of trekking poles. I've heard they greatly reduce fatigue when hiking with a pack (I normally carry about 40lbs. of photography gear + drinks/snacks when I hike). I also assume they help with stability on steep, slippery downhills and water crossings.

What's your experience? Are the poles worth it? Are there any hassles or drawbacks to carrying them?

posted by MorningPerson to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (23 answers total)

Poles are a big help on the trail. I didn't want to be bothered with them until I met up with some amazing hikers, a little older than myself, who used them with great skill. So I, too, started using them. It's a little like using chopsticks at first--clumsy, get in the way, and so on. But in no time, I learned how to manage them and wondered why I waited so long. Poles reduce fatigue, stress on the knees, and are a great help when negotiating slippery terrain. I collapse them into my pack when scrambling or climbing hand over hand.
posted by Elsie at 6:44 AM on June 3, 2009

Yes. Save your knees. Most of my friends from my hiking days all have worn out knees from endless miles of carrying heavy packs through the mountains. Start early with poles and your knees will last a lot longer.

I don’t know what the terrain is like where you are but here in New England the White Mountains have some notoriously steep and rugged trails. Most of the hiking we did was multi-day backpacks with up to 50 lbs, sometimes through deep snow (with snowshoes) and poles really helped with stability. As you said, they’re great for downhills (you place the pole a step below you and use it to take some weight off your knees) and river crossings.

Spend extra for telescoping poles so if you’re in an area where you don’t need them or where they get in the way (very steep areas that require scrambling) you can fasten them to your pack. Most packs have compression or ski straps on the side that can hold your poles. As long as they can fold up small the drawbacks are minimized. If they’re poking up above your pack they can snag tree branches, but that’s about the only hassle. You also don’t have your hands free while you’re hiking, though if you use the wrist straps you can just let them hang from your wrists while you grab a drink or take a picture.

Poles have other uses as well. If you twist your ankle you can use them as crutches. They can be used to make emergency splints. I took a wilderness first aid class where they taught us how to make a femur splint out of a hiking pole and a coffee mug. They also have uses when you’re camping, such as for pitching tarps, clotheslines, tent poles in a pinch, and even pot lifters.
posted by bondcliff at 6:45 AM on June 3, 2009 [1 favorite]

Yes, worth it. The one downside I can think of immediately is getting a blister on a long hike. I always check REI Outlet first for hiking gear.
posted by mbd1mbd1 at 6:54 AM on June 3, 2009

I love mine - I was surprised at how great they are for uphill and for stability downhill. Second the suggestion for telescoping poles if you can find them. I have Black Diamond poles that I bought from REI for less than $100.
posted by handful of rain at 7:04 AM on June 3, 2009

Thumbs up to trekking poles. Once you get used to their use, they feel very comfortable and aid stability emmensely. The Backpackers Handbook has a great tutorial on how to properly use them and many of the advantages of them.

A set usually has 2-3 different basket attatchments which also improve utility. I have used them for hiking with the small baskets, cross country and ski mountaineering with the large baskets, and as probes (checking for crevasses) with no basket.
posted by Nanukthedog at 7:07 AM on June 3, 2009

Poles are definitely worth it, but before you shell out cash, consider trying a pair of walking sticks first. They'll be a little clumsier than aluminum poles, but they'll give you some idea of what it's like to use your hands while hiking. If you see any benefit, imagine doing the same thing with something easier to control and a lot lighter. If that sounds good, go spend the money.
posted by valkyryn at 7:27 AM on June 3, 2009

I find them essential for climbing. Cinch up the straps so you dont have to grip tightly.
Also useful for fending off dogs & wildlife.
posted by canoehead at 7:31 AM on June 3, 2009

if i have a heavy pack, i like poles
posted by Flood at 7:33 AM on June 3, 2009

I haven't had personal experience with them but my friend swears by them. She went on her first hike with two other guys who were supposedly in much better shape than her and by the end of the walk they were rotating the poles between them because she was doing so much better than they were.
posted by like_neon at 8:17 AM on June 3, 2009

Trekking poles are very important. They save your knees and, believe me, they prevent a lot of falls.
posted by WyoWhy at 9:02 AM on June 3, 2009

I'd like to differ. They're good on icy, difficult or slippery terrain, but I don't think they're worth it on easy trails.

Oh - and German and Dutch tourists, you look a complete tosser if you use them while 'trekking' along the South Bank in central London.
posted by rhymer at 9:05 AM on June 3, 2009

I started using poles a little over a year ago when I joined a New Mom's hiking group. I was carrying my 6 month old daughter on my front and a regular day pack backpack on my back. I have to say that the poles made a HUGE and wonderful difference for me. I am not exactly graceful or sure-footed, but the poles made balancing and walking much easier. They especially helped on water crossings and steep inclindes. No one wants to fall while carrying a baby, and the poles made me a lot more confidant on the trail. Also, I was just doing day-hikes, so I didn't shell out a lot of $$ for my poles. I got the cheapest aluminum telescoping poles they had at Wallmart, and they have worked great. For serious backpacking spending the extra cash to get quality poles may be worth it for you.
posted by omphale27 at 9:15 AM on June 3, 2009

I went on a weeklong backpacking trip in CO a few years back. There had been tons of avalanche activity the previous winter, and in at least a half dozen places the trail was covered by downed trees for 50-200 yards. Without poles, walking / climbing across those trees would have been much harder than it was. Additionally, poles allowed us to manage a risky creek-crossing (~2-3 ft deep white water) that was necessitated by a downed bridge.
posted by ripple at 9:40 AM on June 3, 2009

My friends and I rented them when we hiked down into the Grand Canyon. They made an enormous difference on inclines going down and coming back.
posted by canine epigram at 10:11 AM on June 3, 2009

I use a very long, very light, XC ski pole for extra stability,especially for steeps and creeks, here is a carbon fiber model that interests me.
posted by hortense at 10:23 AM on June 3, 2009

If you're hiking mostly flats I'd give them a pass unless you pack really throws off your center of gravity. In which case I'd figure out how to hike with less stuff.

But if you do steep hikes or anything with the word "ravine" in it more than once you'll get good use out of them.

In addition to the other uses, if you epoxy a camera mount screw to the top you can use it as a monopod.
posted by Ookseer at 11:21 AM on June 3, 2009 [2 favorites]

Ookseer, that is a great idea. I'm definitely going to do that.
posted by mbd1mbd1 at 12:34 PM on June 3, 2009

Response by poster: [original poster follow-up] Thanks for all the input. I definitely hike mostly rough, mountainous terrain. I wish our trails were flat! ;-) It sounds like trekking poles might be really beneficial.
posted by MorningPerson at 12:52 PM on June 3, 2009

You want the poles. They make such an enormous difference in total fatigue that it's not even funny.

It is true that they don't offer much benefit on truly flat ground, they're absolutely awesome going up or down even the slightest inclines. Plus, I love them for crossings of all sorts, and I use them constantly for jerry-rigging stuff in camp.

In contrast to what a couple of people mention, though: I remove the baskets from mine. The baskets continually get snagged on trailside underbrush; they tear free immediately, but the energy you've wasted accumulates. It does mean the poles then suck on sand (sinking several inches in), so I do carry the baskets with me... but, I rarely use them.
posted by Netzapper at 1:25 PM on June 3, 2009 [1 favorite]

When carrying a heavy pack, I almost always prefer using poles. When I'm wearing a pack that's <30 lbs., I only find poles helpful when the terrain is very uneven, rocky, steep, or slippery. If it's a hike on mostly even terrain and you're not carrying a heavy pack, leave them at home.
posted by HotPatatta at 3:17 PM on June 3, 2009

Poles are especially awesome for longer trips (and thus heavier packs!)
I've found that they also help tremendously with balance...on rocky/steep/downhill terrain, they help maintain your body's rhythm.
Make sure you get relatively nice ones (I know, I know, it may seem crazy to spend $70 on poles) because if you get used to them and then they break, you will probably cry.
posted by allymusiqua at 3:42 PM on June 3, 2009

I have been out in the hills for many years, and was always skeptical of poles until I used some for a hard multi-day trip. They *do* add stability while taking some of the weight off your legs - but you're essentially redistributing that weight to your arms, so expect less tiredness in your legs at the expense of sore biceps until you get used to using them regularly.

A couple of tips from me;
1 - Learn how to use the hand straps to hold them correctly. There's plenty of info around the interschnauser about it, so I won't attempt to instruct you.

2 - Telescoping poles are not just good for stowing in your bag. If you're going uphill, you'll want to shorten them > going downhill, lengthen them. Having the angles working for you means you'll receive the most benefit. I wouldn't fluff around changing things for short distances, just the up/downhill you'll be at for more than 15 minutes.
posted by MatJ at 8:30 PM on June 3, 2009

Definitely get the poles if you're hiking any kind of hills / mountains with anything above a medium-heavy pack. I descended Kilimanjaro, summit to base, same day, and by the end I'm pretty sure I was putting almost as much weight on each pole as I was on each leg, I literally couldn't have done it without poles. I had used poles on a number of occasions before and never really noticed the value they provided - it took me getting to that level of fatigue to realize how much impact they can have, but that means I was benefiting from them before I noticed it so outright.
posted by allkindsoftime at 11:39 PM on June 3, 2009